


tomorrow (we’ll start anew)

by lovemarket



Series: stillness in woe [18]
Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Gangs, M/M, classism kind of, gangsters kinda, mark just gets into a lot of fights
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-12
Updated: 2019-09-12
Packaged: 2020-10-16 22:50:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,311
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20610668
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lovemarket/pseuds/lovemarket
Summary: There was nothing Mark knew better than bruised fists and lips, aching cheekbones and bleeding noses.





	tomorrow (we’ll start anew)

**Author's Note:**

> this was inspired by the outsiders: specifically the different sides of town, fights and how ppl r judged depending on where they live :-)

There was nothing Mark knew better than bruised fists and lips, aching cheekbones and bleeding noses.

Fighting was a daily routine in his life, ever since he was a young child. It was the price his family had to pay for being in a gang. It wasn’t much, but they were all he had. Mark wouldn’t trade his members for the world, even if it meant having a good life. He quite liked his life, having become so accustomed to it, he didn’t think there was anything wrong anymore.

When a new gang rose up, trying to claim the Lee’s territory, all hell broke loose. All hell is breaking loose as the other gang won’t give it up. Mark loves a good fight but now? He’s tired of running into them, having to throw a punch to teach them a lesson. But starting trouble was in his blood. Mark couldn’t go five minutes without disturbing a calm atmosphere by running his big mouth and if he did, well then that meant he was having an off day.

For example, this weekend. There had been a meetup on Friday that was, for lack of better words, instigated by Sangyeon. It really didn’t help the older man’s case that he was out with Mark and Hyunjae, who hated getting into fights just as much as Mark. That was the one thing they had in common besides their last name.

Despite this hatred, they punched, kicked and scratched anyway. There was no way Mark would stand down to let one of them beat up him like a voodoo doll.

After the fight Mark runs to the only place that actually feels like home.

He hates going to the Southern side of town, the nicer side where people from the North aren’t welcomed, considered street rats and bad influences on their children. The houses here make Mark sick but he keeps on, going around the back of a house at the end of the cul-de-sac, tapping on the bedroom window on the first floor.

It takes a moment for Mark to watch the figure shuffle around his room, turning on the light then opening the curtains and finally the window. “Mark… Again?”

Mark just gives a small smile. “Miss me, Renjun?”

“I’ll miss you at a reasonable time, not ass o’clock in the morning,” Renjun retorts with the roll of his eyes. “You can’t come in through the side door so try not to be so fucking loud as you get in through the window, yeah?”

Mark nods, hoisting himself into the room. The window is a bit high but Mark manages as he always does.

“All my folks are home, including some from the motherland,” Renjun fills him in, opening a draw to retrieve his first aid kit. “This weekend is quite possibly the worst time for you to be coming here. Also, you look like shit.”

Mark snorts. “Tell me something I don’t know, babe.” He winces when Renjun dabs all his cuts, scratches and bruises with rubbing alcohol before dressing them with bandages. “Who was it this time?” Renjun asks, glancing into Mark’s eyes as he worked.

“Jaehyun and some other guy. They were just pissed we let the cops get involved last weekend, probably wanted some kind of revenge for getting written up or something.”

Renjun just nods. It gets silent until the whole process is done. Mark gets up and approaches the window but Renjun grabs his wrist. “You should stay.”

Mark frowns. If he’s not home in the morning, Taeyong might actually raise hell. He expresses this concern to Renjun. “I’ll set an alarm, don’t worry. Come on, the only time we see each other is like this. Just for the night.”

And who is Mark to say no to Huang Renjun? A monster?

Renjun kisses Mark’s cheek when he closes the window and grabs clean clothes for Mark to change into. “What’s your family here for?” 

“Mm, Mid-Autumn festivities. Remember when I went away this time last year?”

Mark remembers. That was honestly, probably the worst weekend of his life. He doesn’t know how he survived before he met Renjun.

“We take turns visiting every year so they had to come down this time. I wish you could celebrate with us or something.”

This happens a lot. Renjun’s family has a lot of parties and ceremonies just because they probably don’t know what else to do with all of their money. It ends with Renjun having no plus one because his parents would probably freak if they knew Mark was in their house right now and the younger’s parents pushing on girls they knew to be his date. Renjun always turned them down, saying he’d find someone when he’s out of high school. 

“Junnie, I would love to come, but you know what would happen.” Mark runs his hand through Renjun’s hair. It’s black now, completely drowning the brown he had before during the summer. 

Renjun nuzzles his head into Mark’s neck, “I know but it doesn’t hurt to dream.” “If you fly too close to the sun, your wings will melt.”

Renjun laughs silently, the breaths tickling Mark’s neck. “Okay Daedalus.”

Mark sighs, pulling Renjun onto him. “I wish life wasn’t this complicated,” he mutters. “In another universe I’d be from here and we could be together.”

Renjun smiles softly. “In another universe you could be in my position and I’d be getting into fights every night.”

Mark laughs. He could never see Renjun getting into a fight, not even at school. “Yeah, right. Maybe we’d both be from Southside and everyone wouldn’t have a heart attack every time you smiled at me in between classes.”

“Imagine what they’d do if I waved,” Renjun gasped dramatically. “We might get a three day suspension, babe. Maybe I should stop making eye contact with you in passing.” Mark jokes. 

Renjun clicks his tongue. “This whole socioeconomic based worth thing is such bullshit.” Mark shrugs. “It’s how our parents were raised. But we can change that.”

“Not me,” Renjun shakes his head. “I’m not strong enough to go against my parents.”

Mark frowns. “Renjun, you’re one of the strongest people I know and I know a lot of fucking people.”

The moonlight hits Renjun’s face just right and in that moment, Mark thinks he’s found the love of his life. The one he should never let go of. 

“You can do whatever the fuck you want in this shitty small town as long as you put your mind to it. We’ll get out of here soon.”

“Promise?” Renjun asks, holding up his hand. “Pinky swear. We can get new identities or some shit and live the way we want to, not how others tell us to.”

“I love it when you fantasize about running away from home and becoming an entirely new person illegally. Really gets me going, babe.”

Mark laughs quietly, hitting Renjun’s thigh, causing the younger to laugh as well. 

When they settle down again, Renjun lays his head on Mark’s chest. This way is comfortable, familiar, grounding. 

Renjun’s bed smells like vanilla and baby powder. A weird combination but it works. It feels safe and welcoming. It feels like home. To Mark, Renjun is his home, where he truly belongs. 

“I love you, Renjun.” Mark murmurs, kissing the crown of his head. 

“Love you too,” Renjun leaves a ghost of a kiss to Mark’s neck, wrapping his arms around the older tighter. “Wish you didn’t have to leave soon. It’s cold waking up without you.” 

One day they won’t have to worry about having their financial situations define them, or fights from strangers every night like some kind of club or something. But that day is far into the future and right now, as long as Mark and Renjun have each other, life is pretty fucking amazing. 

**Author's Note:**

> i was actually planning this to be WAY longer but i kind of just wanted it out of my google docs woops... i think i’ll revisit for a chapter two though!! :-)


End file.
